THURSDAY
January 15
The Meaning of the Cross
(John 2:21, 22; Gal.
6:14).
In John's account of the cleansing of the temple, he uses the story,
as he did with the wedding of Cana, as a parable of the Cross. Not
only is the Cross superior to the waters of religious ritual, it is supe-
rior even to the temple in Jerusalem, which, outside of Christ Himself
in the flesh, was the greatest manifestation of true religion.
Where does Paul, like John, find "glory"?
Gal. 6:14.
What is Paul
saying in that verse? In what ways should we have the same expe-
rience as he did?
In John 2:1-22, we see good things getting in the way of the best. It
is no different today. Everyone seeks meaning and a sense of value
out of life, but few seek it in Jesus. Instead, people try to find "life"
by accumulating things, by performing in ways, including religious
performance, that bring praise, and by developing relationships with
admired people.
Possessions, performance, and people are good things. They are
part of the spice of life, but they are not life itself. No matter how
many possessions you may have, they are never enough. And those
you have rust, rot, break, crash, or become hopelessly scratched up.
Athletes become broken and frail, beauty queens grow old and wrin-
kled, and teachers become mindless and forgetful. Loved ones some-
times leave you, disrespect you, divorce you, and/or die when you are
least prepared. Life is frightfully insecure if based on such good
things as possessions, performance, and relationships with other peo-
ple.
To those jaded by a desperate search for life, John offers something
better: the Cross. The Cross tells us there is a God who knows every-
thing we have ever done yet loves and values us so much that He gave
His life for us. "At the foot of the cross, remembering that for one sin-
ner Christ would have laid down His life, you may estimate the value
of a soul."—Ellen G. White,
Christ's Object Lessons,
p. 196. "The
hand that sustains the worlds in space . . . is the hand that was nailed
to the cross for me."—Ellen G. White,
The Acts of the Apostles,
p. 472. This insight is the source for an incomparable sense of per-
sonal worth and satisfaction, no matter the circumstances of daily life.
Though, as Christians, we know these truths, why do we still
allow ourselves to become caught up in earthly things that can-
not ultimately satisfy our needs?
See Rom. 3:10-20.
What is the
only way out of that trap?
See Gal. 6:14.
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